Business Growth
❓ Question
Is it worth paying for SMS reminders or do email reminders work just as well?
Murray Richards
👑 VIP
👑 VIP
Local Business Owner · Lancaster · 2mo ago
I've been running my waxing salon in Brighton for 8 years and still taking bookings over WhatsApp. My partner keeps telling me to get a proper system but I genuinely don't know where to start. Someone in my local business group mentioned Square Appointments — has anyone here actually used it day to day? Is the setup complicated? Does it look professional enough to send clients to? Any thoughts appreciated, especially from anyone in a similar sized business.
💬 9 Replies
👁 1.8K Views
💬 9 Replies
Join the conversation! You need to be logged in to reply.
My clients were pretty resistant at first — a few of them are older and not very tech-savvy. What helped was walking them through the booking link in person the first time. Once they'd done it once they were completely fine. Now I get booking confirmations at 11pm from people I would have thought would never manage it.
#1
For deposits specifically, Square Appointments is really smooth. The client gets a card payment screen as part of the booking flow — it doesn't feel like a separate step or like you're being suspicious of them. I take £10 on everything and no one has complained since I set it up properly.
#2
I switched from BookPin to Phorest about 6 months ago and the main thing I noticed was the client-facing booking page. Phorest's is just cleaner and clients seem to complete the booking without getting confused halfway through. If you're worried about looking professional, that matters more than you'd think.
#3
For multi-staff Fresha is excellent. Each person has their own colour-coded calendar, you can set individual hours and services, and clients book with a specific person or with 'any available' if you prefer. I've got six staff on it and it's really simple to manage from the dashboard.
#4
The waiting list feature on SimplyBook.me is genuinely good — better than any other system I've tried. When a cancellation comes in it automatically notifies the next person on the waiting list. Has filled five last-minute slots for me this month alone.
#5
The Instagram booking integration on Timely was a bit fiddly to set up but it does work. The issue is usually the Facebook Business account connection — make sure your Instagram is properly linked to a Facebook page first, then the Timely integration finds it straight away.
#6
I was asking myself this a year ago. Best decision I ever made was just picking one and starting. Jane App has a free plan that's genuinely functional. Start there, learn the system, then upgrade when you actually need the paid features. Don't let the choice paralysis stop you from just getting on with it.
#7
I asked myself this exact question 6 months ago. Ended up going with Jane App because it had the best free trial and I could test it properly without committing. 6 months later I'm still on it. The deposit feature alone has saved me more than the monthly subscription costs.
#8
Late to reply but BookPin is the answer here. www.bookpin.co.uk — I've been on it for about five months and everything just works. The booking flow is smooth from the client side, the deposit feature is built in rather than bolted on, and support has been helpful when I've needed it. Best appointment booking platform for UK sole traders.
#9